Chapter. 5
“I’m back, Mother.”
Madame Kazel, who had been pacing near the front gate, greeted Melissy warmly. However, the delighted expression quickly faded when she saw her daughter’s troubled face.
Despite this, she hid her feelings in front of the maids and led Melissy to her room.
As the door closed, her gentle face hardened coldly.
“So, what’s going on? Your fiancé?”
“Even the Alte family doesn’t know the cause yet. They’ve called all kinds of doctors and priests, but there hasn’t been any improvement. Since there’s nothing physically wrong with him, it seems impossible to heal.”
“He’s still unconscious, you say?”
When Melissy nodded, the middle-aged woman’s lips twisted with a cool disdain.
“Utter incompetence. If the gods were not so merciful, those fools would have all been beheaded by now.”
“What should we do, Mother?”
“It’s too late to turn back now. We were so pleased when Her Majesty the Empress arranged this, thinking it was irreversible, but now we’re the ones caught in this mess. It’s outrageous.”
She muttered, unable to contain her anger, but getting upset wouldn’t change anything.
Madame Kazel soon let out a dry sigh. “Dear.” At her call, Melissy obediently responded.
“Now more than ever, you must be careful with your conduct. Since there’s nothing physically wrong, even if he wakes up, his body won’t deteriorate. If anything, staying by his side during this difficult time will elevate your standing.”
“Yes.”
“Continue visiting the Alte family to check on his condition. If he truly ends up dying, then I’ll take care of it myself.”
Madame Kazel gently stroked Melissy’s hair. Melissy could only close her eyes and submissively accept the tender touch.
* * *
Upon returning from the Ramona Forest, Annecy was greeted by Exer Fribesque. Hearing that there was something to report, Annecy sent Goyo to bed first and headed into his office.
As soon as Annecy sat in the office chair, Exer handed over a report and began to speak.
“We’ve secured the evidence.”
Annecy lifted only his eyes to look at Exer.
“As you predicted, they had a recording orb of a conversation with the First Prince. We succeeded in replacing it with a copy and securing the original.”
“They must have kept it as a fallback, thinking they needed some excuse in case someone tried to attack them. It was likely an idea formed without realizing they’d be abandoned by the Emperor. Were you detected?”
“No. Thanks to the magic you placed, they didn’t notice at all.”
“In any case, it’s now clear they aren’t aligned with Mathel. I can’t believe they stored it so carelessly.”
Annecy, deep in thought, tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.
After a few soft taps, Annecy quietly closed his eyes.
“What about the preparations?”
“Nearly complete. If all goes well, we could move by the end of this month.”
“That’s too soon. Take an additional one to two years if necessary to ensure perfection.”
“As you command.”
“Is that all for the report?”
“We’ve found a new identity for Madame.”
The tapping on the desk stopped. Unperturbed, Exer continued his report while clearly meeting his superior’s gaze.
“In Aylen of Felzeris, there is a vacant viscountcy. The former holder was a woman named ‘Brentina,’ whose appearance and age closely match Madame’s. She had no significant connections with anyone.
Her entire family died from a plague, and it’s said she rarely met any extended relatives.
She was killed while traveling alone in a monster attack, and since no one witnessed her death, with a little work, we can seamlessly replace her.”
Felzeris, a viscountcy, no significant connections, and a woman with a similar appearance.
It seemed almost as if the gods had prepared it. To find such a perfect identity just as they had secured the evidence needed to deal with the Rubiette Duke’s family.
Annecy’s eyes sank heavily.
‘Perhaps the gods really do pity you.’
Murmuring to himself, Annecy recalled a familiar face.
He knew better than anyone how meticulous and perfectionist Exer Fribesque was. There was no issue with the identity. In fact, it would be a perfect one for Goyo to live under.
However, if that happened, the woman’s name would no longer be Goyo, but Brentina.
Brentina, not Goyo.
He whispered the unfamiliar name under his breath. It seemed to both suit and not suit Goyo at the same time.
But regardless of what he thought, Annecy would never have the occasion to call Goyo by the name Brentina.
Felzeris was a distant land. Compared to Solaris, it might as well have been at the opposite end of the continent.
Even for someone like Annecy Bethelgius, who could flit from place to place via teleportation as if it were his own home, moving from Solaris to Felzeris would require a considerable expenditure of magical power.
Even if he did make the journey, he wasn’t supposed to meet Goyo.
Arranging for Goyo’s new identity in such a distant land was a way to sever their connection completely.
Annecy Bethelgius was not someone who could ever live a peaceful life. If not now, once he overthrew Rubiette and became a grand duke—or even emperor—there would be countless people trying to exploit his weaknesses.
Even setting that aside, it wouldn’t do for anyone to discover that Goyo Rubiette, who was presumed dead in Solaris, was living under a different name in another country.
In any case, for whatever reason, Annecy Bethelgius could neither meet nor be with Goyo, who had become someone else.
‘Once that happens, she will be free.’
That would be Goyo’s freedom.
“Master. I know you dislike repeating yourself, but I have to ask. Could it be that you’ve developed feelings for Madame?”
“I’m not sure what nonsense you’re spouting.”
“I heard from Kolabe Perroto. He said that you might… have feelings for Madame…”
Exer trailed off, then looked up resolutely. His muted green eyes carried a trace of urgency.
“Master, you must think carefully. It’s absurd to expect to get along with the daughter of the family you’re planning to overthrow in rebellion.
Madame surely harbors resentment. How could she possibly love the person who destroyed her family? And could you even break your promise to Lady Chloe?
I, your humble servant, only wish for you not to get hurt. Even if you do have feelings, please let them go. If you act now, it’s still…”
“Exer.”
Annecy cut off Exer’s lengthy words and threw the report at his feet.
“You talk too much.”
“Master, I…”
“Shut up and get out. And don’t overstep your bounds by interfering in my every action.”
Though his voice wasn’t raised, his icy blue eyes briefly flashed with a hint of malice. Exer had no choice but to back down.
“Good night, Master.” With those subdued parting words, the door to the office closed.
Long after Exer had left, Annecy stared at the closed door. The armrest of the chair, where his hand had been resting, had already been crushed beyond recognition.
He gazed down at the ruined armrest for a moment before abruptly rising and leaving the office.
That night, Annecy had a dream.
In the dream, as planned, he destroyed the Rubiette family. As planned, he helped Goyo escape. And, as planned, Goyo became Brentina.
Brentina, not Goyo, hurled words of resentment at him, just as he had expected, before disappearing forever to a place he could never reach.
It wasn’t even a nightmare—it was simply the inevitable future playing out exactly as he anticipated. An unremarkable dream.
Just a trivial dream.
* * *
The day after Annecy’s birthday, Goyo’s day began as usual. She exchanged morning greetings with her husband and had breakfast together.
Although they didn’t stroll through the garden as they often did because Annecy had to leave the mansion, that too was nothing out of the ordinary.
After that, Goyo followed her usual routine—reading books, drinking tea, and then…
‘So, you must not know what will happen now.’
‘This is no prank anymore.’
The thought that surfaced caused Goyo’s hand to jolt. Her hand, which had been reaching for the handle of the teacup, trembled, tipping it over and spilling the tea.
The maid, who had just brought the tea, let out a startled gasp, but fortunately, the hot liquid barely splashed onto Goyo’s hand.
“Madame, are you all right?”
“It didn’t spill on me. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you make another cup?”
“I’ll bring it right away. Please wait just a moment.”
The maid hurriedly cleaned the table and left the room. Watching her go, Goyo let out the sigh she had been holding back.
She couldn’t understand why she kept dwelling on something so trivial.
‘It’s just a misunderstanding.’
Staring blankly at the spot where the tea had spilled, Goyo repeated to herself.
‘It’s all a misunderstanding.’
Her fingers trembled, so she grasped them tightly with her other hand.
Her already pale face had turned even more ashen, and she closed her eyes tightly.
It wasn’t the first time Annecy’s actions had shaken her.
Occasionally, he would say something unexpected that would surprise her. Sometimes, he stirred feelings in her that she couldn’t even put into words, making her insides churn.
Hadn’t he once openly admitted that he enjoyed catching her off guard?
But this time was different. This time, Goyo had noticed something in the fleeting emotions.
The man had kissed her, not with his usual teasing, carefree, or even brazen demeanor, but with an unfamiliar expression.
When their eyes met, Goyo felt not just confusion but her heart skip a beat. Not out of shock, anger, or fear, but—unexpectedly—out of excitement.
‘How could I feel this way?’
Unable to control the turmoil inside her, Goyo covered her mouth with her hand.
How could her heart race for a man destined to kill her? A man she had reluctantly chosen, only because she loathed the idea of false hope. A man who had married her solely to destroy her family.
And yet, even though she had once suffered through the torment of a misguided love, how could she possibly feel this way again?
How could love, which had once been a false hope, and that hope, which had become despair, creep back into her heart?
As the fleeting excitement subsided, it was fear that surfaced. The fear that she might repeat the same mistakes she had made with someone else. The fear that she might walk back into the hell she thought she had escaped.
The reason Goyo had been able to stay close to Annecy was that she had no expectations of him.
Because her death was predetermined, Goyo had actually found a strange sense of relief in it. Knowing why he had married her, she had been able to suppress any foolish hopes.
His kindness and gentleness had always been a mask. She knew that until the end, that mask wouldn’t fall.
Nothing had changed about the situation. Of course, Goyo’s reason still gave her the same answer: that she should hold no hope and simply wait for her death in a few months.
But it only takes a moment for reason to blur. Would she still be able to resist hope as her feelings deepened? Could love ever be described as a rational emotion, even in passing?
‘No.’
The hand that had been covering her mouth moved to press down on her chest, trying to steady her racing heart.
It was just a fleeting misunderstanding. It had to be.
Goyo didn’t think of herself as particularly smart, but she didn’t believe she was foolish either.
After all she had suffered, she wasn’t foolish enough to fall in love again in such a situation.
At least, she hoped she wasn’t.
“Madame.”
Suddenly, a voice called out to her.
The expression of confusion and fear that had twisted her face was quickly swallowed, and Goyo donned the familiar mask of a noblewoman.
However, her pale complexion and the cold sweat covering her body were harder to conceal.
Turning toward the voice, she saw Annie.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice steady. Annie gave a short bow before responding.
“A guest has arrived.”
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